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Pieretto handed seven-week stamping ban

Date published: December 1 2016

Argentina prop Enrique Pieretto has been suspended for seven weeks following his red card for a stamp against England.

Pieretto appeared on Wednesday (by videoconference) before an independent Disciplinary Committee (appointed by World Rugby), having received a red card for stamping on an opponent in contravention of Law 10.4(b) in the match between England and Argentina at Twickenham last Saturday.

Pieretto accepted that he had committed an act of foul play but asserted that it had not warranted a red card.

The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Sheriff Kathrine Mackie (Scotland), alongside Graham Quinn (Ireland) and Neil Hennessy (Wales), having viewed video footage of the incident, listened to evidence and representations from and on behalf of the player, and reviewed all of the other evidence, found that Pieretto had committed an act of foul play and that it had warranted a red card.

As for sanction, the Disciplinary Committee determined that Mr Pieretto’s actions had been intentional and that they merited a top-end entry point based on World Rugby’s scale of seriousness, which carries a nine-week playing suspension.

The Disciplinary Committee further determined that there were no aggravating factors and that there were some mitigating factors, such that his playing suspension be reduced by two weeks.

Pieretto was therefore suspended from playing rugby for a total of seven weeks.

Taking into consideration Pieretto’s playing schedule (and in particular his having no playing commitments before February 4, 2017), he is free to play again on March 20, 2017.